Posts in Category: Sulky

So, what is UFO Friday? I has absolutely nothing with little green men, spaceships or Area 51. This is sewing lingo for UnFinished prOjects. Many of us have a PhD, Projects Half Done! So set yourself up and work on your UFO while you play this video. I was inspired to establish UFO Friday for a couple reasons. First, I wanted to connect with and make new sewing friends. I wanted to give everyone time to escape the Coronavirus and take a moment for themselves. Viewers are welcome to work on a UFO or take a break and watch.

Here's a Recap:

During this Facebook Live broadcast, I showed one of my UFOs, the Sulky Simply Applique Spring banner.

I also showed you how to cut to the chase and set up The Thread Director.

I also ended with a quick demonstration on how I did the machine embroidery quilting using the scanning feature built into IQ Designer on the Baby Lock Solaris.

I love audience participation, and encourage attendees to send in sewing related pictures, questions or topics you would like to talk about.

I promised you that UFO Friday is not about me selling you something. However, my UFO just so happened to be something that is available through my affiliate link to the Sulky website. So, if you are interested in purchasing some metallic thread, The Thread Director or any of the four Seasons with Sulky Applique kits, please consider using my affiliate link. I'd really appreciate your support.

The next UFO Friday is scheduled for April 17, 2020 at 3pm EDT (Washington DC). Sign up to be one of my Sewing Friends and you will receive notices announcing UFO Friday.

Hello and welcome to my website!!! I'm so happy you are here. Happy National Embroidery Month! This has been an amazing tour with lots of inspiration and creativity, and there's lots more on the way!

When I was asked to join the 2019 Stitch Along Tour, I was thrilled because I love Designs in Machine Embroidery and working with pre-printed panels. I really enjoy doing machine embroidery and working with Baby Lock's IQ Designer, so this project was a perfect match for me!!! My twist on the new Farmhouse Collection - Sentiments by dime, was "sew" much fun.

I started this project using a Baby Lock Destiny, and about halfway through this project I got my Solaris!!! Happy Dance!!! So, of course, I had to let "Tinkerbell" play too! I used Sulky 40 wt. Rayon thread for the embroidery in a variety of colors.

I always test embroidery designs before I stitch them out. I also wanted to audition my ideas before stitching on the "real" panel, so here's what I did. I hooped Sulky Soft 'n Sheer™ Stabilizer, or you can use Baby Lock No-Show Mesh Stabilizer. As you can see in this picture, I made a free standing appliqué (heart) and I embroidered the lettering directly onto the stabilizer. After I trimmed away the stabilizer, I was able to get a better idea as to what it would look liked stitched onto the panel. I love this auditioning technique!!!

I pinned the heart in place and hooped the panel. At the machine (Destiny), I scanned the hooped fabric with the heart still pinned in place. Then, I was able to line up the design exactly where I wanted it to stitch ~ awesome!

This is a beautiful appliqué design, and I wanted to put a twist on it. I found the red gingham fabric in my stash, and it had a tendency to fray! I thought it would be perfect to give the panel a shabby appeal! I used my Clover Patchwork scissors to snip around the edges of the fabric for an even shabbier look.

Next, I focused on some fun features in IQ Designer that I'm so excited to share with you. Now, just to back up a little...prior to stitching the heart on the panel, I hooped the panel and scanned it in IQ Designer.

I used the Line and Fill properties in IQ Designer to trace around the letters and fill the letters with a satin stitch. I chose to work in the color red because it was more visible. I had so much fun doing this that I forgot to take a more current picture, but here's a picture of the time I practiced on the letter "t" in the word "Gather." When I was ready to start for real, I started from the beginning with the word "The."

When you save the artwork in IQ Designer and convert it to an embroidery design, the embroidery design is in the exact place where it needs to stitch, as long as you don't re-hoop! It's very important to note that I did not re-hoop my panel. Shown below is "The Gathering Place" design in the embroidery mode. Notice how I was able to zoom in 200%, so I could take a closer look. And, if I wanted to make any fine adjustments, I could have used the directional arrows to move the design.

Here it is, stitching out exactly as planned!!!! This is so exciting!

A lot of times when I work, I come up with new ideas at different stages. It turns out that I sewed on the border next! I love using Clover Wonder Clips, especially since I have a "help-purr" in my sewing room who likes to steal pins!

Perfect timing...the Solaris arrived! This was the perfect opportunity to use the projector to project the floral spray on the panel exactly where I wanted it. The projector is revolutionary and makes perfect placement so easy!

I really had fun using IQ Designer to transform the black border fabric!!!! Shown is the image of the scanned fabric. As you can see, I have just a wee bit more to finish!

I used the brush tool in the fill properties menu to "brush" exactly where I wanted the decorative fill stitching.

I used the Dual Feed Foot with the open toe foot attachment to stitch in the ditch between the panel and the border. If you aren't familiar with the Dual Feed Foot, it has a belt that you can't see in this picture. The belt helps to move the fabric from the top while the feed dogs move the fabric from the bottom! A really great foot to use when working with multiple layers!!! You can't tell in this picture, but I used Sulky 40 wt. Rayon thread in a variegated black and gray.

I used a Clover Bias Tape Maker to make the bias tape for the binding.

This was a lot of fun, and I hope you enjoyed reading about how I transformed the panel using my Baby Lock Destiny and Solaris machines, and IQ Designer.

To enter to win the Farmhouse Collection - Sentiments panel kit, please leave a comment below. Be sure to include your first name and the initial of your last name in the comments. You can include your city and/or state if you want. I need a way to address you when I announce the winner. You can get another chance to win if you like my Sewing Machine Artistry Facebook page and comment there too!!! You can use the Facebook link at the top of this page to find my Facebook page. If you already like my page, please leave a comment on my Facebook page. I'll draw a random winner on Fri-yay, February 15th, 2019 at 12:00 noon EST!!! Be sure to come back and check out my Facebook page and/or website to find out if you are the winner!!!

Thank you you so much for joining me here, and I hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Disclaimer: Now for my public service announcement...This post contains affiliate links directly to the Sulky website. When you shop using my special link, I will receive a small percentage from the sale, but the price you pay and any ongoing sales will be the same as if you visited the Sulky website directly. I appreciate you using my affiliate link if you need some supplies from Sulky. I am also a Baby Lock Ambassador of Education and a demonstrator for Clover Needlecraft, and whenever possible, I promote their products as well but do not have an affiliate relationship with them. To inquire about sewing supplies and Baby Lock machines, be sure to visit your local authorized Baby Lock retailer.

I'm so excited for 2018! I really think this is going to be a big year for me. Thanks for following me on this journey!

So, I did my first Facebook LIVE video today, and I liked it! I'll post it as soon as I can teach myself how to download it from Facebook and upload it here. Rut-roh!!! The sound was horrible so I deleted the video. However, I figured out how to upload it here the next time!

Are you interested in taking a class from me in the Hagerstown, Maryland area? I'd love to teach you how to make the Cell Phone Wallet from Hold Everything Purses, Totes and More! written by Pam Damour and Betty Mitchell. I am now a Certified National Educator for Pam Damour!

Holy Smokes!!! I've been working with Eileen Roche of Designs in Machine Embroidery for several weeks now, in preparation for tonight's webcast, Quilt with An Embroidery Machine. She certainly has been fantastic to work with, but I was so surprised to see my name and website mentioned in her latest blog! Thank you so, so, much Eileen!!!

If you haven't signed up for this webcast yet, you don't want to miss out. There's still time to register, and if you cannot make it to the live event, you will be able to watch a recording afterwards. I'll just send you over to Sulky's site to register. It's tonight, March 23rd, 2017. Please note that the correct time for the webcast is 9:00pm EDT.

I just love her entertaining writing style as she recapped our dress rehearsal yesterday. Read her blog post here:

Well, if you are visiting me for the first time you can see that I haven't been keeping up with my posts they way I want. That's because I have been traveling across the country working at expos, teaching classes and making webinars. There just never seems to be enough time for everything.

P.S. This post contains my affiliate link to the Sulky website. By using my special link to register for the webcast, I will receive a little commission if you purchase something from Sulky. Thank you for using my affiliate link! I appreciate your support.

So, have you ever wondered how far a spool of thread goes? I thought I would entertain you with some fun facts about how many stitches it takes to get to the end of a Sulky spool of thread. For those of us who are over a certain age, doesn’t that remind you of Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pops??

• Average stitch length of an embroidery design is between 4-5mm. Many of you may not embroider (yet), so your normal sewing stitch length would be shorter, perhaps 2.5mm.

• If you had all 388 Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Thread colors on a 250 yard Snap spool, you could create 17,072,000 stitches. Remember this is the 4-5mm stitch length.

• If you had all 388 Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Thread colors on a 850 yard King spool you would be able to create 60,528,000.

850 yard King spools of Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Thread.

So, are you curious to know how much embroidery that is?

The average embroidery design has 20,000 stitches...

• ...with 388 Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Thread on a 250 yard spools, you could create 854 designs or more than 2 a day, everyday for a year.

• ...with 388 Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Thread on a 850 yard spools, you could create 3,026 designs or more than 2 a day everyday for almost 4 years!

So now you know how many 4-5mm stitches it takes to get to the end of a Sulky spool of thread!

5,500 yard Jumbo spool of Sulky 40 wt. Rayon Thread.

Let's have some fun! Can you figure out how many 4-5mm stitches a 5,500 Jumbo spool of thread can create?

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Sulky, and the highlighted links within this post contain my special code to the Sulky webstore. When you use these links, you will be directed to Sulky's webstore. The cost of the products are the same whether or not you use my links, but using my links allows me to receive a small commission from the sale. This is a way of letting me know how much you like the information I am posting for you, and I truly appreciate your business and support.

I know how overwhelming it can be to learn something new. I'm sharing the 14 basic sewing notions that I think are a must for everyone. As you talk to more people, take classes and become more experienced, your basic sewing notions will include many more items than what I have listed here. There are several others that I so badly wanted to add to the list. Instead, I narrowed it down to only 14 items. If you have these 14 notions you will be well-prepared and ready to make a simple sewing project right away!

A clean sewing machine in good working order and the owner's manual.

First of all, your machine should be in good working order! If it has been sitting in the back of the closet, do yourself a favor and take it in for maintenance. It just may need to be cleaned really good and oiled by a certified technician.

Be sure to have the machine’s manual. This is such a handy resource to have. If you cannot find your original manual, look for it online. Be sure to download and/or print it, and keep it handy, especially if you are taking a class. You can learn so much more about your machine. Take some time to read through the manual and familiarize yourself with your machine. Consult your manual if you are having problems, it could be that your bobbin is in backwards.

Clover Seam Ripper and Bent Tipped Tweezers

Seam Ripper! I tell people that EVERYONE can sew...as long as you have a seam ripper! There are all sorts of seam rippers on the market, in all kinds of lengths and colors. There are even lighted seam rippers for those who have difficulty seeing small stitches.

Tweezers. This might not be a must-have, but it is for me, and everyone else who doesn’t have a pair when they need them.

Small scissors and a pair of cutting shears.

Scissors! To cut thread tails, you will need a small pair of scissors, but if you want to cut large pieces of fabric, you will want to use shears, which are bigger scissors. Depending on your age, and maybe experience, you may find that having a rotary cutter and cutting mat is an absolute must. A rotary cutter is like a pizza slicer, except that it IS razor sharp. We’ll talk more about rotary cutting another time.

TIP: I tied a piece of scrap fabric to the handle of my shears so I would not get them mixed up with someone else's scissor when I take them to class.

A beautiful basket of Sulky decorative threads, to include the brand new Cotton + Steel 50 wt. Cotton Thread by Sulky.

Next you will need some good thread. All right, I’m biased about using a good quality thread, especially Sulky brand thread. But I have a great story for you about the difference a good quality thread makes in your machine. By good thread, I mean a brand name thread that is not in the bargain basket. You know, the buy 2 for $1, or something. Not knowing what type of sewing you plan to do, I’m going to go out on a limb and recommend general all-purpose thread. It’s a great idea to check the instructions for your project, as they may indicate which thread to use. Soon, independent shops will have Sulky’s Cotton + Steel 50 wt. Cotton Thread in stock. This thread is ideal for piecing and other small projects with seams that won’t get a lot of stress.

I honestly had a student attempt to use the cheap thread in class despite my plea to buy one spool of good thread. This lady had a very clean older, mechanical sewing machine. During class she had all kinds of problems with her machine. The thread was breaking, the machine jamming, and if she was able to sew, the machine was skipping stitches. At the end of the first class, I told her that I thought it was the thread she was using and asked her to please buy one spool of good thread. She came back the following week with the same cheap thread. Again, she was having problems and was very frustrated. I threaded her machine with good thread, and guess what? Her machine sewed like a champ and she could not believe it! If you find good quality thread to be too costly for your budget, buy one or two spools in a neutral color. For lighter color fabrics, use something like a white, ecru or light gray thread, and for darker fabric, use a black, dark gray, dark blue thread or even brown.

Schmetz Universal 80/12 Sewing Machine Needles

Next on the list is sewing machine needles. There are several brands of machine needles to include Singer, Klasse, Organ and Schmetz. There are different size needle and specialty needles too. Check your project’s instructions for a recommendation. If you are making something with a light-weight cotton and are using all-purpose thread you can use a size12/80 Universal type needle to get started. We’ll get into this topic in the future.

Yardage and precut fabrics.

Of course you are going to need fabric. Your project’s instructions will specify exactly what you need and how much. But if you are looking to have some general fabric to practice with, I recommend quilter’s cotton. It is available in a lot of pretty prints and solid colors too. If you don’t know where to find it, don’t be afraid to ask someone. You can buy fabric by the yard, or there are pre-cut pieces of fabric available in a variety of sizes that are a lot of fun to work with.

Create-a-Pincushion by Clover.

Pins and a pin cushion or even a magnetic pin cushion! Look for pins that have a colorful head as they are easy to see and the head makes them easy to remove. I personally recommend glass head pins, because they will not melt if you iron over them. You will need a place to put your pins for easy retrieval. A pin cushion is nice and they are so fun nowadays. You can even find free patterns on the Internet to make your own. In fact, you can even create your own custom pincushion using your favorite fabric with the Clover Create-a-Pincushion kit.

Magnetic Pin Cushion by Clover.

Clover also has a magnetic pin cushion. A magnetic pin cushion can serve two purposes. To hold your pins and to pick them up, or find them. Just think about how easy it would be to pick up pins using a magnetic pin cushion if you were to accidentally drop a pin or an entire box. Trust me, I know first hand about this!

Ironing board and Iron.

Iron and Ironing Board, or some other type of pressing surface. I remember teaching a children’s class and I told them that we would be using an iron. One of the mothers was very surprised and she was the type of person who was very animated with her expressions. Can you imagine her reaction. That still makes me laugh. I don’t even think she owned an iron. LOL… Your iron does not have to be fancy but it needs to get good and hot. I once had a young student bring one a toy iron to class, and it did not get hot enough to press the seams properly.

A 6" x 24" is a must-have. Oftentimes you can find a 3 pack of rulers with a smaller 6" x 12" ruler. Having both is quite is handy too. Eventually, you will find that a 45mm Rotary Cutter and Cutting Mat by Clover are essential.

Measuring. If you plan to sew clothing, you will need a measuring tape more so than a ruler. If you plan to sew quilts, crafts, totes and home dec projects, you are going to really need a quilting ruler. You will want to invest in a clear acrylic ruler. In fact, I would recommend a 6” x 24” quilting ruler and perhaps even a smaller ruler such as a 6” x 12”.

Two of my favorite fabric markers are the Chaco Liner Pen Style and Trace 'n Mark, both by Clover.

Fabric Marker. You can decide which will be best for you. There are all sorts of fabric marking tools available.

If you look at the left end of the Chaco marker you will see very fine teeth. This chalk-like marker makes a fine and very precise temporary line.

One of my favorites is the Clover Chaco Line Pen Style, and they have fun colors too!!!

Trace 'n Mark pen by Clover is air soluble and water soluble. It even has dual tips that are different sizes.

Another fabric marking tool that is new to me is the Clover Trace ’n Mark pen. The packaging indicates that this is an air erasable marker and that it disappears with water! Air soluble means that it will disappear over time. How much time it takes varies, and a lot has to do with your climate. If it is humid where you live, the marks may disappear faster than another part of the country. Water soluble means that it disappears with water, so if you spray a little water on the mark, it will go away…ta-da, just like magic! What I really like about this pen is that it has different sized tips at each end.

We are just over a week into the New Year and I wanted to check in with you to see how you are doing with keeping up with your New Year's resolution?

I love New Years because it represents a time to begin anew! Instead of making New Year’s resolutions, I like to set goals. Sometimes goals and resolutions can seem overwhelming and down right impossible at first. Right? I want to share with you the tricks and tools that help to keep me on track.

Nine Simple Steps for Goals & Resolutions

Set yourself up for success by making a plan.

Think about how you can make your resolution or goal doable, even if it seems impossible.

Write it down your resolution or goal! I have these beautiful planners to help me plan and write it all down.

Break it down into achievable steps. Maybe this is a long to-do list with your resolution broken down into tiny baby steps. Write them all down. You can give yourself a big shiny star for each step you complete. I like to play mind games with myself to keep it fun and interesting.

Schedule time for your resolution or goal and make it a priority. Even a little bit of time is better than none at all. Even one baby step or 15 minutes makes a difference over time.

Set a deadline for yourself.

Show up and put in the effort. This may sound silly to list, but planning alone won’t get your closer to your resolution or goal. You have to do something.

Visualize reaching your goal or resolution frequently.

Review your list regularly. You may find that you have time to do a little more than you originally planned.

It’s NEVER too late to start…or start over!

“Sew” what are my goals? Most of them are business related intertwined with sewing! I have one sewing related project that is on the short list.

I’m involved in a round robin wearable art jacket challenge, and my deadline is coming up soon. We selected a collection of fabric as our inspiration. In this case it was a range of white to black Fairy Frost fabrics by Michael Miller.

We each designed our jacket backs using any colors from that range. We could add other colors to our jacket backs for a “pop” of color.

After we finished our jacket backs, we passed it on with all of the material and thread to the next person. The next person makes one side and the opposite sleeve. When that person is finished, she passes it to the last person.

So this is what I received. The back is pieced together using a technique called bargello, and has an appliquéd flower. Bargello looks like it would be very challenging, but it's actually quite easy. You will be surprised at how simple it is.

The front panel is pieced and positioned at an angle, which creates a really nice look when worn. If you look closely, you will see some piecing that looks similar to the saw tooth pattern. There's a pocket with an appliquéd flower on it, and will be permanently sewn in place at the wearer's desired position.

Here’s a sneak peak of my progress so far. I am making the opposite front panel and sleeve. I chose to do a play on water color piecing. This was not as easy as it might seem. Since I am the last person to receive this jacket, I have less fabric to work with. That's part of the challenge. Luckily, I had just enough fabric to make this work for both the front panel and sleeve.

Here's a picture of the front panel I made with the other finished pieces. I'm pleased with my progress so far. Stay tuned for a picture when I'm finished!

Once I finish the jacket challenge, I need to prepare for a couple classes that I am teaching this year. In March, I will be in Puyallup, Washington and will be demonstrating how to use Sulky Iron-On Transfer pens in the “Transfer It with Iron-On Transfer Pens” class. This is going to be "sew" much fun!!!!

The other class, "Know Your Thread Weight" is a stage presentation. The Sewing and Stitchery Expo is March 2-5, 2017, in Puyallup, Washington. If you are there, be sure to look for me at the Sulky booth, or on stage and say hello! I hope to be teaching a couple classes at the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Cleveland, Ohio, but I haven’t received confirmation yet.

On a personal note, since we recently moved and I want to sew some simple home dec projects to give our house our personal touch. I’ll be sure to share them with you as I make them. Can you believe I won’t let myself start making anything for the house until I can give myself a gold star for the the first two projects on my list!

I love hearing from my Sewing Friends. Did you you make any New Year’s resolutions, re-SEW-lutions or goals for 2017 that you would like to share with me? I hope you can apply my 9 Simple Steps for Goals and Resolutions, and make the sewing or quilting projects that you dream of making this year!

It's almost webinar time again. I've been working with Beth Bradley of Martingale & Company and Lori Kennedy to give you another fabulous hour of inspiration and education. This month's topic is Free Motion Doodling on Celestial Stars. Beth will share with us how to create a very simple Celestial Star block that has plenty of opportunities for free-motion doodling.

Even if you are not a quilter, that's okay. This is an easy wall hanging, that will be sure to impress your quilting friends. You will learn how to do the flying geese. I have to admit this was my first time piecing that pattern.

Free motion sewing is one of my favorite types of sewing, and the book 180 Doodle Quilting Designs: Free Motion Ideas for Blocks, Borders & Beyond will give you plenty of inspiration to get started. Plus we will show you 4 ways to practice free-motion doodling so you will be ready and confident by the time you put your fabric under the needle.

Lori is a superstar when it comes to free-motion work. Several of her doodle designs are in the book. She will teach you how to Doodle using Sulky Stick 'n Stitch stabilizer. Well, that link will take you to Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy stabilizer, which is the same thing, just a different name.

Even if you know you cannot attend the webinar, go ahead and register anyway. That way you will be privy to some things that the general public won't be able to see. Plus you will have a chance to win a door prize and hear about the free download first!

It's hard to believe it's time to start thinking about Christmas already. We all know it takes time and TLC to make special handmade gifts from the heart for our family and friends. In this video, I inspire you to embellish a preprinted panel with Sulky decorative threads. I also give you amazing tips and exercises to practice so that you can free motion sew, or quilt interconnecting circles! If I can do it, so can you! It's really a lot of fun and easy, especially after you practice.

​Let me hear a whoa hoo! I hope this video inspires you to try embellishing a preprinted panel with beautiful Sulky threads.

By the way, don't forget to visit my shop to link to the Sulky online store, if you need to order supplies!

Here's the exercise sheet I promised. Print it out on regular paper and practice tracing the lines and complete the rest of the row.

The next exercise is optional, and well worth it. When you are ready, print the exercise sheet on a piece of Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy Stabilizer (soon to be called Stick 'n Stitch) from your home printer. This is a Wash Away stabilizer, and is available in convenient 8 ½" by 11" sheets. It has a self-adhesive backing, like a postage stamp. Peel that backing off and place it on a practice quilt sandwich!

There's one or two more exercises you can try, and I explain them in the video.

I hope you enjoyed this post and are inspired to embellish preprinted panels with beautiful Sulky decorative threads.

Thank you for finding me, and a warm welcome to my new home on the Internet!

If you are reading this, that means I did it! I pushed the "live" button for this brand new website, Sewing Machine Artistry! Cheers to a fresh new look, a new design, a new beginning AND…lots of amazing good things to come. I love my new logo so much, and it gives me that extra boost of confidence and inspiration to DO IT and put myself out here.

If you are look for a graphics designer, I cannot recommend BTownBetty on Etsy enough. I sent her several pictures of me and see what she came up with! Love it!!!

Tonight is the night! I am hosting the Sewing Online with Sulky (S.O.S.) Webinar at 9pm EDT. There's still time to register and our special guest is Vanessa Vargas Wilson, aka The Crafty Gemini. She has an amazing project lined up for you, called the Pinnacle Table Runner. Vanessa is great to work with. She’s a lot of fun, talented and very inspiring. I know you will enjoy her fabulous presentation. If you want to register, go here https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4278360647957194243

See my social media buttons at the top of the page? Go ahead and give them a like or a follow, so you can keep up with me there too!